


You're Not Safe

by thefloorstillneedssweepinggeorge (shanmccartneyx)



Category: The Beatles
Genre: Childhood Trauma, Multi, Murder, Mystery, Plot Twists, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-11
Updated: 2015-05-07
Packaged: 2018-03-22 08:48:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3722680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shanmccartneyx/pseuds/thefloorstillneedssweepinggeorge
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the murder of a mutual friend, 6 friends come together and they realise they are all small parts of a big puzzle. They start to remember their forgotten past- they've known each other for years. They soon regret as their past is a disturbing, dark, twisted secret.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Funeral

**Author's Note:**

> This is one of my longer fics, its going to be a good few chapters. As I have chosen not to specify warnings, if there is anything you could be offended by then please do not read. It is still in the works so new chapters will be posted regularly. If you have any comments, then please feel free. I'm feeling proud of this, I just hope you guys like it.  
> All these characters are of my own imagination except from the Beatles themselves. I don't know these people so this is all fiction.

Funeral  
Alana heard Paul sniffle as he was trying to hold back his tears. She squeezed his hand and tried to hide how upset he was. Alana could barely look at him.  
‘Alana, Paul, you guys know this isn’t your fault?’ Alana’s mum said softly from the driver’s seat of the car. Of course they knew it wasn’t their fault. Alana’s best friend and Paul’s girlfriend had been murdered.  
The car pulled into the cemetery, down to the bottom where an open grave lay. 17 year-old Lauren Tate’s grave. Alana quickly let go of Paul’s hand as they stepped out of the car. A dozen white plastic chairs sat in front of the open grave, in them sat some familiar faces, some unfamiliar faces.  
“Paul!” They turned around to see George Harrison standing, a boy younger than Paul and Alana.  
“George, what are you doing here?” Paul asked, shaking George’s hand. “Where you and Lauren close?” Both Alana and Paul were confused.  
“Lauren was a lovely girl, I wanted to be here to support you guys and her wonderful friends.” He said as he eyed up Alana. She giggled under her breath and Paul stood clueless. “I don’t think you’ve introduced me to your friend, Paul?”  
“Sorry George, this is Alana Kelly, Alana, this is George Harrison. Alana and Lauren were best friends.”  
George’s rosy cheeks lit up. He looked like he’d run all the way here from Upton Green. In fact, he had.  
“Pleasure, George.” Alana held out her hand which George took with a firm grip.  
“Alana, I am so sorry for your loss. If you need anyone for a chat, a shoulder to cry on…” George was cut off by Paul laughing. George blushed with embarrassment.  
“Paul, shut up! Thank you George, I’ll call.”  
“Okay I’ll see you guys down there!” George ran off to the seats. Once he was out of earshot, Paul turned to Alana.  
“You do realise he fancies the pants of you right?” Alana laughed and nudged Paul’s shoulder.  
“He’s just a kid.” Alana wasn’t really that interested in little George. Paul was looking over to the Westside of the cemetery, where his mum was buried. His feet took control of themselves and he began to slowly stroll to the unmaintained gravestone. Alana followed him slowly.  
“3 years Alana.” Alana walked so slowly and quietly behind him she had no idea if she’d ever even heard him. Alana couldn’t even bring herself to reply. Paul had been so delicate since his mother died. Alana stretched up to Paul’s height and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, resting her head. Paul raised one of his hands to gently hold Alana’s.  
“You’ve been doing so well.” Alana said gently, resting her head still. “Keep strong. I admire you.” One of Paul’s tears dropped on to Alana’s hand. She stroked away the tear on his warm cheek and gently kissed his cheek. Normally, Paul would be annoyed at his girlfriend’s best friend kissing him but given that she had just been murdered, Paul really didn’t care. He didn’t feel anything. They didn’t feel anything for each other. Paul was still in love with Lauren and Alana was alone. They’d become really close since Paul ran into her work telling her Lauren hadn’t come home last night.  
It was just a normal Saturday morning. Alana was pouring coffee for someone else in a remotely quiet coffee house in the heart of Liverpool. Alana had missed a night out with Lauren cause of this coffee house which she’d come to regret forever. Maybe if she’d been there Lauren would have lived. Paul came running in with his open cuff shirt. He looked distressed.  
“Alana, Alana Kelly. Where is she?” Paul was shouting at her manager, his hand pulling his hair. Before Mr Ross could respond, Alana had left the counter.  
“Paul, what is it?” Alana said as calm as she could to Paul.  
“Lauren. It’s Lauren.” His hands moved from his hair to his hips.  
“What’s wrong with Lauren?” Alana could no longer hide her fear.  
“I went around to her house an hour ago. She didn’t come home last night.”  
“Are you serious? What happened?” Tears welled in Alana’s eyes. Paul then explained Lauren went out last night with Hayden Starkey and never returned. Alana spoke to Mr Ross who was already unimpressed with her breaking two cups in one morning.  
Alana and Paul got the bus to Lauren’s house on Arnold Grove. Alana raked remorselessly through Lauren’s things trying to find out where she was whilst Paul phoned her mobile repeatedly, each time with failure, and Lauren’s parents searched around the darkest and most desolate parts of the city.  
“That was weird.” Paul said quizzically looking at his phone.  
“What’s up?” Alana had just emptied a box of Lauren’s photos and papers.  
“Her phone didn’t go to answer. It stopped after two or three rings.”  
“It could have died. She wasn’t been home for like 14 hours.” Alana was still looking at the photo she found of her and Lauren in New York. They were stood in Times Square with Starbucks cups, making attractive pouts. Lauren looked like a slimmer version of Alana here. Her curls ran down her front, they were just a bit lighter than Alana’s. She wore cat eye eyeliner with red lips which really went with her hazel eyes, just like Alana’s. They both wore parkas and blouses. One of Alana’s tears feel on the picture which she quickly wiped away so Paul didn’t see. This was tough for her; she couldn’t bear to think how Paul felt. She couldn’t be negative around him. Truthfully, she wondered if she’d ever see Lauren again. She wondered if they’d ever return to New York and go the gangster dens like they always talked about.  
“Alana, I just called again. She’s apparently ‘on another line’.” Alana and Paul had a spark of hope.  
“She might be calling her parents!” Alana dropped the papers she was reading through. Straight away, Paul called Mr and Mrs Tate who said they’d never heard from her. This could not be good. Someone must have her phone. Within seconds, there was a knock on the door. Paul and Alana ran down, hoping to find Lauren.  
No such luck. A police officer and a detective stood in the doorway. “Are James and Maxine Tate home?”  
“No, they’re not. What’s this concerning?” Alana asked. Paul couldn’t speak.  
“It’s concerning their daughter, Lauren.” Paul looked at the floor. Alana started to tremble.  
“I’m Alana Kelly, Lauren’s best friend. This is Paul McCartney, he’s her boyfriend. Could we help at all?” Alana and Paul invited the detective inside. Alana sat Paul down. “It’s okay. They might be here to help us.” Alana knew by the look on the detective’s face it wasn’t true. Alana turned to the detective. “Is there anything I can get you?”  
“No thank you Miss Kelly, I’m afraid there will be no time for that.” Alana and Paul sat on the sofa opposite the detective and policeman. Alana placed her hand on top of Paul’s, he gripped it tight. A tear fell on to Alana’s hand. “Miss Kelly, Mr McCartney, we understand this news maybe of a shock to you-“  
“Just spit it out!” Paul cut her off. Alana moved her arm around his shoulder, still holding one of his hands.  
“There has been a body found in Stadt Moers Park this morning by a dog walker. DNA tests have shown it to be the body of Lauren Maxine Tate, your best friend and your girlfriend.” The detective couldn’t even look at their faces. Paul’s head was in his hands. Goosebumps grew on Alana’s arms and she began to shiver.  
“Is this some kind of sick joke?” Paul moved his head from his hands.  
“Paul, please stop!” The lump growing inside Alana’s throat came through in her voice as she failed to shout.  
“Mr McCartney, I can assure you this isn’t a joke.”  
“H-how?” Paul mumbled as he cried his eyes out. “Lauren?”  
“There’s a massive wound on the back of her head. Mr McCartney, a post mortem has yet to be carried out however to my knowledge, this death was no accident.”  
“W-what do you mean?” Alana couldn’t hold back her tears.  
“The wound on the back of Lauren’s head is deep. If it had been caused by a fall then the wound would not have been half as deep. It looks like she was hit with a large, sharp, heavy object.”  
“Was she- was she- murdered?” Alana was trembling more than ever.  
“Maybe man slaughter.”  
“Some bashed her fucking head in, how could that be a bloody accident?” Paul was now shouting, his nails digging into his palms. Alana had heard many fights between he and Lauren, they called each other every name under the sun, they raised their voices but never once had she heard Paul this heated. Grief-stricken was probably a better word, thinking back.  
“Paul please, calm down.” Alana pulled him into his arms as she howled, his head rested in the hollow of her neck.  
“We just need someone close to Lauren to look at the crime scene photos to confirm it is in fact Lauren Tate. Would either of you be willing to do this? As soon as it has been confirmed by someone close it is Lauren Tate then we can start the search to put Lauren’s killer behind bars. Otherwise we can ask a parent.” Alana signalled to Detective Macy to hand over the photos. Alana’s mouth dropped. Paul mouth made an upset smile and he began to scream into Alana’s neck.  
“NOOOOO, LAUREN, NOOOOO!” Alana’s shoulder was now soaking. When she saw the photo, she couldn’t hold back her floods of tears.  
She lay on her side. On tree branches, mud and bark. She wore her red, tight, short dress. Her favourite dress that Paul bought her for Valentine’s Day. Her face, ghostly. Pastel white and skeletal. Her lips, dark purple. Her face, covered in mud, blood and bark. This wasn’t Lauren. Well, not the Lauren they knew.  
“Miss Kelly? Is the body that of Lauren Tate?” It was blatantly obvious. Alana nodded at Detective Macy.  
That’s what brought us up to today; Lauren’s funeral. Paul kissed his palm and then rubbed it off his mother’s gravestone. He looked at his feet and tears streamed down his face. Alana held his hand and they walked back to the white, plastic chairs by the open grave.  
There were some familiar faces, some unfamiliar. Detective Macy stood by. A couple of rows behind Alana and Paul’s seats at the front, Hayden was sitting, her face covered by a black net. However, Hayden’s face was clear and she was giving Alana a devious look. Hayden was the last person to be seen with Lauren and as a result, is being probed by the police. Hayden has a strong alibi; she states she left Lauren at the local pub where Lauren told her she was going to meet someone and then she was going home. Hayden insists Lauren never once mentioned the name of this person. She assumed it was Paul. It wouldn’t surprise Alana if Hayden had something to do with it. She’s strange. She sits with her dirty blonde hair covering her dry skin and lips. She was deathly skinny and pasty. Someone sat beside her, a small man who looked oddly like her. He nudged Hayden as he saw her stare at Alana. It was her half brother, Ritchie Starkey. Same father, different mother. Alana recognised him from school and Paul’s.  
There were around five rows of chairs, only three of them were occupied. John Lennon sat in the middle of the fifth row, his head down. He wore a black suit with a black tie, open neck. His under eyes had dark tones of blue. He sat with a rose in his hands. As far as they were aware, John and Lauren weren’t close; explains why he sat so far back. Alana and Lauren sometimes watched John and Paul band. George sat behind Paul’s reserved seat.  
In the same row as Alana and Paul, beside Lauren’s parents, sat Hannah Douglas. Hannah was Lauren’s cousin. Alana and Lauren went to the same school as Hannah, where Hannah was the queen bee. Despite Hannah and Lauren being cousins, Hannah treated Lauren and Alana like the other outcasts. It took Hannah’s mum a whole night to convince her to even come to the funeral. Hannah wore a tight, short, laced black dress with fishnet stockings. She looks like she’s in a brothel, never mind a funeral. Her hair was straight, blonde. Despite her dress, Hannah looked like everyone else at the funeral; head down.  
A hearse drove in the cemetery, next to the coffin, Lauren was written in flowers. As the coffin was being carried out of the hearse, Paul just wanted to rip the lid off. Give Lauren one last kiss. Next to the open grave, a dozen bunches of flowers with messages from close family and friends lay. Paul’s stood out the most, purple paper with butterflies, Lauren’s favourite:  
Dear Lauren  
Life is mysterious. You are the love of my life. I will never forget you Lauren. I will never love anyone as much as I love you. I will never meet someone with such a beautiful face, an amazing smile. You are one of a kind Lauren Maxine Tate.  
I love you more than anything.  
Love, Paul  
Xxx  
The minister took his place next to Lauren’s coffin, which now lay on top of the open grave. The ropes attached, which Paul would later use to lower her into the ground; forever.  
“Thank you all for being here today as we commemorate the life of Lauren Maxine Tate…”


	2. Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Paul and Alana look around Lauren's room and they find a picture of them, Lauren, Hannah, Hayden, Ringo, John and George when they were kids. Except none of them remember. They have repressed these awful terrible memories.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to thank rockon1973 for your lovely comments on the last chapter! I have two more ready to upload including a big part of the story! I have so many ideas, I hope you guys like it.

Paul and Alana were glad to have the funeral over. No more “I’m so sorry for your loss,” until school next week. Paul and Alana left with Mr and Mrs Tate. Their feet on the gravel seemed some much louder than before. They stopped at Mr and Mrs Tate’s car when they turned around to have a chat.  
“Alana, Paul we know how close you were to Lauren. She never had a will but we know she’d want you to have something belonging to her. Feel free to go into Lauren’s room and take anything you like, anytime.”   
“Thank you Mr Tate, really thank you. Could we have a look now?” Alana knew that having something of Lauren’s would help her and Paul ease the pain.

Lauren’s room still looked the same. Her tiny single bed was still pushed up against the wall, still unmade. Beside her bed, was her faded white bedside cabinet which was still stained with eyeliner and lipstick. Her half read copy of ‘Catcher in the Rye’ was being kept in place by a strip of photos taken in a photo booth of her and Paul posing. Her makeup sat in the same place; spread out on the floor in front of her full length mirror. It was easy to imagine Lauren on that fateful night. Putting on her makeup, doing her hair, choosing her dress, getting excited for a night out not knowing it was to be her last. Her clothes cupboard was still the same, all her dresses were perfectly lined up; including the one she died in. The blood was still intact. Paul knew what she’d want to be laid to rest in, the Liverpool FC top Paul was saving for her 18th birthday with ‘TATE 18’ written on the back and her cosy Adidas joggies.   
Paul was standing by the window at her desk looking dreadfully vacant. On her desk sat open notepads and textbooks, paragraphs unwritten, chapters never to be read. All the houses within a mile were visible from Lauren’s window, including Paul’s.   
“Lauren and I used to talk from each other’s windows.” Paul was so quiet Alana forgot he was there. He was so occupied she didn’t even know if it was her he was talking to. Alana dropped the papers she was looking through and strolled to Paul’s side. The sun was setting and in it Paul’s face glowed, he looked striking. Paul wrapped Alana tight in his arms; she placed her arms around his waist and her head in the hollow of his chest. “We did with notes of paper. Just short messages, you know.”  
Alana picked up a piece of scribbled A4 paper. “Like this?”Alana handed it to Paul. The words ‘I’M SORRY’ were scribbled on with black marker.   
Paul stood confused, mouthing the words to himself: “sorry”, “sorry”. He finally found his voice: “I’ve never seen this one before. Sorry for what?”  
Alana shrugged her shoulders. “No idea. Did you guys have a fight?” She was even more confused now.  
“Not really.” Paul shook his head. “We hadn’t fought for the last month or so before she died.”  
“Whenever she wrote it, she must have been rushed.” Alana traced her fingers over the scrawled capital letters. It was recognisable as Lauren’s but nothing like her usual elegant handwriting.   
“Could I keep this?” Paul asked with the paper still in his hand. Alana nodded and Paul carefully folded the sign into four and gently placed it in his suit pocket. The room stood still for a moment. “So, where are the boxes?” Alana picked up a box of papers and photos she was looking at and handed it to Paul.  
“Mrs Tate said we can take as long as we want and come back as many times as we like so take your time.” Alana sat back on the floor and began looking through a cupboard. Paul began to sniffle and laugh as he picked up more photos. Alana found Lauren’s Tiffany Necklace and empty bottle of Chanel perfume. The room was silent for a long time.   
“Alana!” Paul sounded alarmed and confused; Alana quickly closed the cupboard and scampered to Paul. “Look at this photo.” Paul was holding a faded photo of he, Alana, Lauren, George, John, Hannah and Ritchie and Hayden stood in the background. They were in a playground; Alana and George were sitting on a swing while the others sat on the ground in front of them. They were young in the picture, definitely under five. “This makes no sense.”  
“What is this Paul?” Alana was confused as she held the photo in her hand. “Its Lauren when she was, I’m guessing four years old.”   
“You don’t get it! I’m in the photo!” Alana looked closely again and she did see a boy who looked terrifyingly like a young Paul. This made no sense.   
“Everyone has a lookalike.” Alana handed back the photo.   
“You’re in the photo too!” Alana snatched back the photo. Paul was right. Alana realised she was sitting on the swing. Her jaw dropped and her hand rose to her mouth. It took a minute to register. She recognised the other: George sitting beside her on the swing; Lauren, Paul, John and Hannah were sitting on the ground in front of them. Hayden and Ritchie Starkey sat on a picnic bench behind them.  
“It makes no sense.” Paul could barely get his words out.  
“Lauren, Hannah, Hayden and I didn’t meet till high school. We didn’t meet you till that night at the Cavern Club. I never met George Harrison till today. As far as I’m aware Lauren never met George. I’ve never met John Lennon before. I’ve never met Ritchie Starkey.”  
“Yet we’re all in this photo…”  
“Do you mind if I keep this, Paul?”   
“Don’t worry.”Alana pushed the photo into her black handbag.   
After looking for a little while longer, they left the house. “Do you have any way to get home?” Alana didn’t know how to make conversation.  
“I live just down there, I’m going to walk. I’m heading into town later. Will you be okay?” Paul said, signalling down the road. He opened his arms out and Alana went in for a hug. She felt a little bit better in Paul’s arms, like everything was going to be okay. You could see why Lauren was crazy about him for so long. Lauren used to drag Alana to see his band, every Friday night; when they finally got together she was over the moon. Alana didn’t like Paul in the way Lauren did. He was just a great friend.   
“Oh yeah, I’m going to get a bus.” Alana finally snapped back.  
“I’ll text you about going back to Lauren’s.” Alana nodded to Paul and they left it at that with a hug.   
Alana stood at the bus stop in the freezing cold. It didn’t feel like spring. The bus came and Alana paid her fee. Just as the doors were about to shut, someone knocked on them and they sprung open. On jumped little boy George Harrison. Alana hoped he wouldn’t see her.  
“Alana!” Plan failed.   
“Hey George,” she moved her bag and George slumped down beside her. He actually looked really attractive. He was the perfect Teddy boy. He wore a leather jacket, shirt and tie. His hair was pushed back into a handsome quiff. “Where are you off to?”  
“I’m going to go into town for a bit. Paul is trying to get me an audition for John and his band.” George was visibly excited.   
“Do you play?” He was getting slightly more attractive.  
“Yeah, I play guitar.” He is getting more attractive by the second. Alana put her hand in her pocket to get her phone to give him her number when she felt the photo. She thought George deserved to know he was in the photo.   
“George, do you want to come back to mine? I have something I need to ask you.” George’s cheeks lit up.   
“Umm, yeah, yeah I can!” He tried not to sound too excited but he failed. He was going to be gutted Alana wasn’t going to ask him for sex.   
When they reached Alana’s house, just down from George’s, they were alone. George thought this was perfect; even more so when Alana led him upstairs and shut the door.   
“You know the sort of guy who does this on the first day we mee-“  
“George, I need your help.” Alana said as she cut him off and sat down on the double bed beside him with her handbag on her knee.   
“What’s up Alana?” George felt embarrassed and his rosy cheeks flamed up again.  
Alana pulled the photograph of her, George, Paul, Lauren and the others out of her bag. “Are you 100% sure we never met until today?” She kept the photo against her chest, ready to show him.   
“I’m sure Alana. Well I’d seen you around with Paul but I never met you before.”  
“That was definitely after high school right?”  
“Definitely.” George peered at the photo in Alana’s hand. “Alana, are you okay? What’s in your hand?” Alana covered up herself and the others in the photo just showing George’s face.  
“Is this you?” George didn’t even need to speak. His jaw dropped and his eyes widened. Alana moved her hand from the rest of the photo. “And there’s me, Paul and Lauren.”  
“But… This makes no sense. I never spoke to Lauren, I never spoke to you till today and I didn’t meet Paul till high school. And we seem quite close in the photo.” George stroked his fingers over the photo. “Who are the others?”  
“Well, Paul and I think the kids sitting with Paul and Lauren are John Lennon and Hannah Douglas. I think that’s the Starkey kids sitting in the back.”   
“That is definitely them. You know something Alana, when I think about it this I don’t think I remember being this age. I don’t remember being my five. I barely remember anything before my 6th birthday.” Alana began to think. She didn’t either.   
“Lauren never told me about when she was little. I asked her what preschool she went to and she said she couldn’t remember.”  
“Do you realise what this means Alana?” She knew it was something bad but she wasn’t sure what. She shrugged her shoulders. “There’s a reason why we don’t remember this. Someone doesn’t want us to remember this.” George stroked his hand over the photo again. “There’s something damp and sticky on the photo.” Alana grabbed it off him and traced her hand over it.   
“Could it be… a tear?” Alana still hand her hand over the photo.  
“Meet me after school tomorrow. The chemistry support group is on and we could use a ph test to check the photo.” Alana didn’t know whether to go. It was evidently clear George liked her and she didn’t want to lead him on. Then again, if Lauren looked at this before she died then it could help solve the answer to both mysteries.   
“I’ll do it.” Alana packed the photo in her school bag, ready to take it to George tomorrow. She pulled a scrap of paper and a biro out of her bag started to scribble. She handed the scrap to George. “Here, take my number. Text me when you get home. You can text me about going to school tomorrow too.” George’s face lit up. He nodded and Alana stretched out her arms for a hug. George was a lot taller than her. She wrapped her arms around his waist and he draped his over her shoulders, his hands threading through her long hair. With that, George left and Alana held hope about finding out what happened to Lauren.


	3. Alkaline

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> George and Alana make a shock discovery about the events prior to Lauren's death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Firstly, sorry for the long awaited chapter guys! I haven't felt much like posting recently but I am now. Because I haven't posted anything for nearly two weeks and this is quite a short chapter, I'm going to start editing the next one straight away and have it uploaded possibly by the end of the night! (no promises though)  
> Secondly, I would like to thank rockon1973 for the continuing lovely reviews and comments and the two sweet guests who have left kudos!  
> As always, please be nice but also please review and leave kudos! I hope you guys like this short but sweet chapter and look forward to the next!x

Alana stood outside Liverpool Institute, waiting for George. She looked at her phone and found a text from George: ‘I’ll be there in five mins.’  
“Rawr. I’m a dinosaur.” George appeared behind Alana exactly five minutes after he sent the text. “We should head up just now. Miss Samson has got the ph test and indicators set out for us.”  
“Should we tell Paul?” Alana was worried about him, he was so lonely.  
“Wait till we know. Don’t want to worry him.” George squeezed her hand. It was comforting how calm George was. Alana and George walked to Miss Samson’s lab, where the ph tests where waiting. Alana put her bag down on the floor and took the photo out; she stoked her hand over it once more.  
“Will this work?” Alana handed George the photo and he started carrying out the test. George was anything but a geek. In reality he was a bit of a bad boy. The ph scale was basic science though, chemistry was Alana’s worst subject and she could have done this when she was thirteen. Plus Miss Samson did all the hard bits.  
“Well depending what colour the paper turns, that will tell us whether it is a tear or not. We’ll then compare it to a colour number chart which will tell us what if it is salt water. Salt water is obviously a tear.” Alana and George sat patiently watching the paper turn blue. They didn’t speak. It was easy to put a knife through the atmosphere. The slow ph test took its time and they were silent for nearly ten minutes. George had no idea what to say to Alana. He loved her and the last thing he wanted to do was make her upset. They both pretended they would be okay with it being a tear, but it was easy to tell they weren’t. It eventually stopped at a colour.  
“Is that… Turquoise, George?” The pink paper had turned a green-blue.  
“It surely is. Give me a minute, I’ll get the chart.” George walked through to the base to get the chart from Miss Samson. Alana picked up the photo and wiped the dust away from the children’s faces. George came back through with a laminated piece of paper. Alana pushed the photo to the bottom of the bag. “Here we go.” George picked up the ph paper and placed it next to the scale. “8.5.”  
“What the hell does that mean?” Even though she knew well what it meant, Alana was in denial for a minute and becoming frantic. George was just looking straight at the chart, his expression empty.  
“It’s- its- salt water.” George was still looking at the chart. Alana gasped and stepped back, her hand over her mouth, her jaw dropped. “It’s a tear.”  
“Does… that mean…” Alana’s hand was still over her mouth. She still stood far back.  
“Lauren looked at this before she died. She was crying when she looked at this.”  
“In the weeks before she died, she wasn’t the same. She didn’t want to speak, or go out.” Alana’s tears began to flood. “Maybe something bad happened and she remembered it.” George pulled her into his chest and gave her a hug with his hands in her hair. Alana didn’t know how long she had stood there for. George was happy to hold her for as long as she wanted. “Should we tell Paul?” George gave her a shy nod.  
“He’ll be down in the music rooms.”  
George and Alana walked hand in hand to meet Paul. George was right; Paul was in the music room playing some unknown riff from an Elvis beside over and over again on a piano. He even had Elvis’s voice. Although they knew how serious this was, they couldn’t help but express amusement outside the room. Paul was so into this song- he was waving his head around in the air which was so slick it didn’t even move.  
George kissed Alana’s head. His kiss was comforting. “It’s all going to be okay.” Alana nodded and George turned the door knob slowly. Paul immediately stopped the piano, straightened his tie and stood up. His cheeks flushed ruby with embarrassment.  
“Hey, are you guys okay?” Alana shook her head and reached into her bag. She handed George the photo who handed it to Paul. He was very alarmed. “Alana this is the photo we had last night. Why does George have it?”  
“Well, as he’s in it I thought he deserved the right to know.” Paul seemed angry and Alana was getting timid.  
“Well what are you trying to say?” He slammed the photo on the desk in front of him. He was fuming that Alana had told George, she didn’t know why though. Paul didn’t say she couldn’t tell anyone and he didn’t seem to think anything of the photo at the time. Now though, he was clearly uneasy.  
“Paul, there’s a damp spot on the photo. Alana and I did a ph test on the photo and it was an 8.5” Paul knew. He was still the same as Alana, in a deep state of denial.  
“8.5? That’s alkaline.” Paul knew what it was.  
“8.5 is salt water: a teardrop.”  
“It’s fresh.” Alana butted in. Her statement seemed pointless now that it was out in the open.  
“What are you trying to say?” The tears flooding Paul’s eyes and the lump in his front began to show in his voice. He knew what they were trying to say. Alana was weeping now. She didn’t know what to say.  
“Lauren looked at this before she was murdered.” George just spat it out. It was easy for him because he didn’t know Lauren.  
“Shut up, George! You don’t know anything about her!” The tears began to flood and Paul was livid. He wasn’t the adorable boy he once was. Since Lauren died, his boyish charm went with her.  
“Paul, please.” Alana was now crying and pleading.  
“You can’t seriously be telling me this had something to do with Lauren’s death!” Paul said, waving the photo in their faces. “She had her fucking head smashed in!”  
“Paul, we know you’re upset.” George was the only calm one of them. His calmness surprised Alana but it made Paul sick to his stomach.  
“George, you don’t know anything! A stupid photo had nothing to do with Lauren’s death!” Alana tried to explain how Lauren had been acting in the weeks before she died and how she could hardly remember her childhood. “Most people can’t remember their childhoods!”  
“Well then Paul, how do you explain how you’re in the photo?” Alana had joined the fired argument. Paul looked at the floor, his hands on his hips, almost as if he was looking into the wooden floor panels for an answer.  
“We might have been on a school trip, I don’t know!” Paul’s voice was louder than when he had those fights with Lauren.  
“Paul, if we’d met before high school then we would have remembered! We at least would have recognised each other, knew that we’d seen each other somewhere before!” Alana was annoyed Paul was being so narrow-minded. She knew that deep down he wanted to know just as much as she did what happened to Lauren but she also knew it would hurt him to know what someone could do to the girl he loved more than life itself.  
“I’m not arguing with you.” Paul slammed the photo on the desk in front of him. “Go on Alana, fuck off!” Paul looked down at the desk. Alana didn’t move. She stood still in shock. When Alana still didn’t move, Paul shoved past her ruthlessly, so hard that he pushed her into George who caught her before she fell. Paul slammed the door and stormed on. Alana’s face was buried into George’s chest when she started to weep.  
“Shush, it’s okay.” George ran his hands through her long hazel locks.  
“Why, George? Why? I can’t keep it in anymore. I can’t do this.” When Alana realised how safe she felt with George her weeping became moaning and she eventually began to howl.  
“Just let it out Alana. Everything will be okay.” George kissed her hair and Alana’s howling quickly became a gentle whimper. Although he hadn’t, George assumed he did something wrong and immediately got nervous. He moved Alana away from his chest by her shoulder so he could see her red eyes and nose. “Look at me.” George raised her chin with his hand. Her eyes were now in line with his. “We’re going to sort this out okay. We are going to find out what happened to Lauren, your best friend, Paul’s girlfriend, together. We will find out what happened in this photo. We will find out how it has something to do with Lauren’s death- together. But, before we can do any of this, you have to trust me, Alana. You have to believe in me. Do you?” Alana didn’t respond. She had a mix of emotions. Her best friend had her head smashed in. Her only rock during this had just told her to fuck off. “Alana, do you trust me?” George was all Alana had now. She nodded slowly.


	4. She Was Not Safe In Her Own Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alana and George discuss Lauren's death and have new ideas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Another short chapter, I'm sorry! Although it does play a big part in the storyline. I was originally going to upload this chapter within a few days of the last one, purely because 'Alkaline' was so short but I haven't had anytime to write as I had assessments at college and those understandingly had to come first. But I'm finished now so I will try to post more frequently! This chapter was uploaded so late mostly because it had to be seriously edited and it was a lot longer. I have decided to break the original chapter into two, possibly three, chapters including this one.   
> Over 100 hits, wow! Its not a lot but I'm amazed! I'd also like to thank rockon1973 for your continuing lovely comments and your ideas will be incorperated in the next couple of chapters.   
> John will be introduced in the next couple of chapters except the dialogue will focus on him so I'm trying to think of the best way to do it.  
> Thank you!

"What should we do?" Alana stared at the cup of steaming brown liquid in her hands. Ever since Lauren died, Alana just looked worse and worse. The steam rising up her face highlighted the stress spots which scattered her chin and the black bags which hung from her eyes.  
"Well we need to find out what happened to Lauren and why she looked at this photo." George was sitting across from Alana, looking at her her hair which looked like she had been dragged through a bush upside down. George still thought he was looking at Venus herself.  
"What if Paul is right, George? How could this," Alana started waving the tear stained photograph in his face, "have anything to do with my best friends head being smashed in!?" Alana didn't realise but she was shouting at him. Everyone in the coffee house, the one she worked in until Lauren died, stared at her. When Lauren died Alana stopped showing up for work. It was surprising she was even welcome there anymore.  
"Stranger things have happened." George had grown timind and his cheeks flared as he looked down at his hot chocolate. His sweetness was sickly. Alana's heart melted at the look of his big brown eyes and his boney face.  
"Oh, George." Alana's regretfulness came out in her voice and a lump grew in her throat. George was all she had left and she took all her problems out on him. She pulled her chair around to his side of the table and she raised his chin with the tip of her fingers so that their eyes could connect. She took his warm, soft hands in hers. "All I am saying is, what if Paul is right and this photo is just a coincidence? When you think about it is kind of far fetched. This having something to do with a seventeen year old being brutally murdered." Alana smiled regretfully at the photo. Her voice was back to its heavenly softness and it helped George hold back his tears. "And even if it does have something to do with her death, what can we do? A seventeen year old who everyone is now convinced is clinically insane and a little sixteen year old school boy." Alana giggled and looked out at the rain filled Liverpool sky outside the window. George hated to admit it but she had a point. What could they do? Little did they know, if they told the wrong person that they had seen this photo they would end up in the ground beside Lauren. Alana's old jokeful ways were cut off.  
"Coffee?" Hannah Douglas stood over them with a large jug of black coffee in Alana's old work apron. The way she was tilting the jug made her look as though she was planning to pour the steaming coffee right over their heads. She must have got Alana's old job. This was the sort of person tall, skinny, blonde Hannah Douglas was though. Lauren's best friend had been killed and Hannah would do everything she could to make this time even more miserable for her. It makes her glad that Hannah was two years older than her, otherwise she would have made going back to school hell for her.  
"Yes, thank you." Alana shivered at saying 'thank you' to Hannah. Thank you for what? Making her life a misery since the start of high school? Hannah finished pouring the coffee and began to walk away."Hag." Alana whispered under her breathe although judging by Hannah's shocked facial expression, she assumed she had heard her. George wanted to break this tenseness. He didn't know Hannah and he was a kind person and being judgemental wasn't in his nature but he knew deep down that he was in love with Alana and he loathed the way Hannah treated her.  
"We can't do anything?" George asked Alana, signalling with his hands for her to carry on.  
"What I was getting at is that we should maybe just hand it over to the police. Its unlikely that something I've never seen before in my life has anything to do with Lauren's death. Even if it does, I've said it a million times, what can we do?" Alana didn't know that if they were to hand it over to the police they'd be in more danger than they already are.  
"Look, Hayden is the last person to Lauren before she died. Maybe Lauren mentioned this to her!" Alana couldn't figure out why he cared so much.   
"She would have mentioned it in her police statement George!" Alana shouted under her breathe.   
"The police don't know about this so why would they ask her about it!" Alana had to admit that George had a point. "Why would she be crying whilst looking at this before she died?" Alana was clueless. "I'm sorry Alana and I don't want to upset you here but from what we know already, I think Lauren knew that she was going to die that night when she looked at this photo."  
"George are you saying this was suicide?" Alana gave him a dirty look.   
"It must have been a long time in coming! Read between the lines Alana!" George was evidently becoming annoyed. "You said that in the last few weeks before she was murdered, not killed herself but murdered, she never wanted to talk to you. About the past, the present or the future. She never left the house, maybe because it was the only place she felt safe. Paul always had to go around to her's!"   
"You're right." Alana smiled at him.  
"She left the house that night prehaps because she knew she wasn't safe there anymore."  
"But why didn't she tell the police or me or Paul or her parents!?" Alana was beginning to babble on almost as much as George was.   
"Maybe Hayden has the answer to that."  
"George, I do have hope in you but what if this is just in our heads? My mum is already talking to Mr McCartney about sending me and Paul to psychiatrists. I doubt anyone would listen to me."   
"But they'd listen to me." Why would the police listen to a sixteen year old little boy who didn't even know the victim? George hated being called a 'little boy', especially by Alana.  
"George. What. Can. We. Do?" Alana was beginning to become frustrated.   
"Just because we're not the police and we can't put her killer behind bars doesn't mean we don't have a right to try and make some sense of it! Alana, I feel like I know you already so well and I know you will not rest until you find out what happened to Lauren. You never know, talking to Hayden might get us one step closer." She knew George was right and she didn't believe in him. Ever since Lauren died, Alana hadn't slept more than 15 hours. She couldn't deal with what had happened to her best friend. The girl she visited New York with. Her 'partner in crime' as she used to call her. Alana was still in denial that anyone could do something this brutal to an innocent seventeen year old girl. Her life was only just beginning and it was taken away with the throw of a sea shell. She had to know.   
"Alright Inspector Gadget, let's go." Alana and George giggled as they finished their drinks and headed towards Liverpool Girl's Institute.


	5. Starkey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hayden is introduced properly and Paul, Alana and George get deep despite Hayden's warnings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in a day, aren't you guys lucky! This one is a bit longer and it leads up to a lot. New characters are introduced too.   
> I'd like to thank rockon1973, you're fantastic! Thank you for your reviews and support :) x   
> Anyone else who reviews will be mentioned in the next A/N.  
> I'm feeling so proud of this story, its one of the few I've wrote that has a clear ending, so nice comments and constructive criticism only please!  
> I love you guys and thank you!

Later that same day, Alana and George walked to the girl’s high school where they found Hayden Starkey in her usual place. She was sitting in front of the entrance to the swimming pool within the PE block, taking yet another drag of her tenth cigarette of the day- and it was only one o’clock. She wore round black sun glasses and wine-coloured lipstick. She wore a black hat which hid most of her face. She sat alone. Lauren always stuck by her. Alana was cruel about Hayden. Back when Lauren was still with them, she convinced Alana to give Hayden a chance. She said that she was “a lovely girl with a few problems.” She wore a black blazer which looked at least three sizes too big for her. It may have once fit her but since Lauren’s killing, she became deathly skeletal. She still wore her faded black skinny jeans and doc marten boots.   
George and Alana stood far away from Hayden, by the cafeteria at least three hundred yards away, but they could still see her lighting up another cigarette. “Explain again?” George asked standing next to Alana, both with their arms folded.   
“Hayden Starkey, half sister of Richard Starkey.” Alana looked at George. “You know him?” George nodded. “She was the last person who saw Lauren alive. She knows more than anyone.”  
“She’s a sadistic goth- wouldn’t surprise me if she had something to do with it.” George still hadn’t moved.  
“Try not to judge, George. I’m trying and believe me it is not easy. We need to know if Lauren spoke about this.”   
Alana and George finally marched through the car park, through what felt like half of Liverpool, even though it was probably less than half the girls at school. They finally approached Hayden but she continued to look at the gravel under her boots and take long, hard drags from her nearly burnt out cigarette. She knew they were there but she ignored them. Through her sunglasses you could see her blue eyes which were mostly red. The only blue part was the bags under her eyes.   
“Hayden.” Alana said sternly, not looking at her.  
“Alana.” She took another long drag from her cigarette.   
“You do realise we just stood and watched you smoke three cigarettes in the space of fifteen minutes.” George didn’t even know Hayden. He was stubborn but he needed to be.   
“I don’t care- after what happened. I’m twice as dark as I was a long time ago. You know I’m a goth George?” Hayden knew George through Ritchie.  
“Goodness, I had no idea! For you see, I have been on Mars for the last decade, in a cave, with my eyes shut and my fingers in my ears.” George said sarcastically as Hayden gave him glares through her glasses. Alana couldn’t help but laugh at George’s remarks. She sat down beside Hayden and looked close at her hair to see streaks of grey. Hayden was younger than Alana, only sixteen.   
“Hayden, your hair is grey.” Alana held a lock and Hayden quickly flicked her hand away. George tried not to look shocked but the widening of his eyes said otherwise. He sat down on the gravel next to Hayden trying to discreetly get a look at her flaky skin and eighty year-old hair.   
“Fear- my hair turned grey because I’m petrified.” George’s eyes became impossibly wider than they were before. Hayden stubbed out her cigarette on the step between her and George. She turned to George and pointed her finger at him. “And do not say that is impossible, I searched it.” George squint his eyes once she looked back down at the floor, not quite sure why she pointed him out. Alana shrugged her shoulders behind Hayden to George.   
“Hayden, what could you possibly be that scared of?” Alana asked, Hayden gave her a devious look through her glasses.   
“I can’t tell you.” Hayden took her ten pack of Marlboro lights which was now at the most a four pack. “It’ll hurt you too.” She lit another cigarette which George grabbed out her hand, stubbed it out and put back in the packet which he threw to Alana behind Hayden.   
“No more nicotine until you tell us what the fuck is going on!” George was stronger than Alana throughout this whole situation. Hayden Starkey was always a dark character but this was something totally new.  
“Maybe this will jog your memory.” Alana took the photo out of her bag. She didn’t know if Lauren mentioned it. She assumed and it was worth a go. Alana handed the photo to Hayden and Hayden froze. She threw her sunglasses at the floor and held the photo so close to her face George and Alana didn’t know if Hayden could even see it.   
“Where did you get this?” Hayden said waving the photograph in George’s face. Alana felt bad for the poor kid. Her, Hayden, Paul, everyone was waving things in his face. He pointed at Alana. She repeated the exact words and actions in Alana’s direction.  
“Lauren’s bedroom. Paul and I found it.”   
“You’re telling me Paul knows about this too!” Alana nodded. “Alana, more people cannot be involved in this!” She looked around and whispered. “I’m in enough danger as it is.”  
“What the fuck?” George shouted. Hayden hit him and told him to be quiet.   
“This photo has a dark twisted meaning. The further you look into this the more danger you get in.” Hayden held her lighter next to the photo. “If I were you, I’d burn this right now.” Alana snatched the photo out of her hand.   
“Hayden, get out of your goth world. Our best friend was murdered.” Alana shouted.  
“Thanks to this photo.” Alana gasped at Hayden.   
“Hayden, get a grip! I thought you could deal with this maturely.” Alana shouted. She nudged George. “George, come on.” She gave Hayden a devilish look, almost like the Evil Eye the Turkish talk about. “We’re leaving.”  
“But I’m finishing my sandwich.” George said through a mouthful of a ham roll.   
“George, come on!” George dropped his sandwich and began walking away with Alana.   
“Don’t you dare talk about this with my brother!” George and Alana stopped in their tracks and glared at each other then back at Hayden. She stood with a cigarette in her hand. Alana and George began to walk away slightly faster, feeling a bit scared yet unsure why.  
“What now?” George asked still walking fast alongside Alana.  
“We need to find out why Hayden s so afraid of this photo.” They’d been walking so quickly they were already halfway back to Alana’s house. George didn’t even know they were going there and truthfully, neither did Alana. She was just going where her feet took her. What else could she do?  
“Alana, the answer to that is very simple. Hayden Starkey is a sadistic, sick, twisted, chain smoking goth who hates the world and all who inhabit it. Next stupid question?” Despite everything that happened, George remained a happy kid.   
“George, her hair is grey with fear!” Alana stopped in front of her garden gate and turned to George. “And Goths are afraid of nothing.”   
George chuckled at Alana’s joke as she fiddled with the keys in her hand until finally the door unlocked. Alana stepped inside, George followed her sheepishly.   
“MUUMM!?” Alana shouted so loud George had to put his hands over his ears. They stood for moments in silence until it was certain her mother wasn’t home. “Thank God, mum must be at work. We have some time.”  
“Jesus Christ, since when was your name Alana Foghorn Kelly.” Alana laughed at George’s joke as she brought him into her Victorian yet comfortable living room. When he saw how tired, ill and distant Alana looked he became worried. “Alana, what exactly are doing?” George was worried. Alana was a mess.  
Alana ignored him as she walked to the library standard bookshelf and carelessly pushed everything on the bottom two shelves off. They were what appeared to be files. For a minute, the room stood still. Alana and George stood with their eyes in line. George gasped at the mess in front of Alana. Hundreds upon hundreds of files stacked up to her knees. It would take ages to clean the mess up, never mind look through it. Alana slowly started to sink away from reality in recent times.   
“Well Harrison are you going to just stand there or help me find out what the fuck happened to the Starkey kids?” Alana said as she got down on her knees and began raking through the endless paperwork. George went red in the face and he did the same as her.  
After five minutes of not knowing what he was searching for, he finally found the courage to ask a very frustrated and distressed Alana. “Alana, how is looking through your family’s files going to tell us what happened to the Starkey’s?” Alana listened to George’s question and for a second she wondered what she was actually doing. That happened a lot recently. She’d forget things or fall asleep at times of confrontation.   
“I didn’t say it would.” Alana continued looking through the files and George’s left eyebrow raised. “It might help us start to make sense of what this big mess is about. Maybe we went to a school and the files are here. Anything with our nursery name.”   
“I don’t remember anything before my fifth birthday.” George was deep in thought. He looked down at his thumbs as he twiddled them. It was easy to tell his true emotions were finally starting to show. Alana’s heart melted every time she looked at him. His sweetness would bring a tear to a glass eye. She dropped the files she was looking through with a loud bang on the cold wooden floor which made him jump.   
“That’s why we’re doing this. Not just for the Starkey kids, for us.” Alana raised George’s chin with the tip of her fingers, as he did so many time to her. “We both know that we all somehow fit into this. We can’t remember and we don’t know. But I know in my heart, that one day we’ll have the answers to all our questions.” Alana smiled at George and he shivered. Alana usually hated eye contact but she felt so comfortable with George. As if he didn’t have control of his hand, George started to twiddle his fingers through Alana’s messy locks. Their faces got closer and closer until their foreheads touched. Their lips were about to meet when they were interrupted by the sound of the doorbell. For those few seconds, Alana forgot how rubbish the world around her was. When he opened her eyes, she realised how messy her life had turned. Alana pulled away so that she was looking into his eyes. “Who could that be?”  
“You’re not expecting anyone?” The only person who ever knocked on Alana’s door was Lauren. She shook her head and her face expressed a bewildered expression. “I’ll go get it.” George stood up and walked out of her living room, leaving the door ajar. She began to smile at the thought of George then she continued to look through the files.   
George swore he was going to cripple whoever was at door. He stood and looked at the blurred glass door and took a deep breath to try and hide his hurt. He opened the door and saw none other than his best friend and the man who was essentially stuck in the middle of all of this, Paul McCartney. He wore black formal trousers and a white shirt which he left open neck. In one of his hands, he held a bunch of flowers and he used the other to scratch the back of his head. The flowers in his hand were Lilies. Lilies were Alana’s favourite flower. George began to get annoyed.   
“Err, hey, George…” It would have been easy to put glass through the atmosphere.   
“Hello, Paul.” George looked down at the floor which he wished would open up under him before he looked back at Paul who couldn’t even look him in the eye. George looked back up at him. “What are you doing here?” He felt he had to be blunt.   
“I could ask you the same thing.” George gave Paul a stern look. “I’m here to see Alana.” They both looked at the flowers in his hand.   
“Paul, you told her to fuck off yesterday. I think she is still pretty upset.”   
“I feel awful about that. My anger got the better of me. I realised that you and Alana are the only people I have in this horrible time. I’d be a fucking idiot to let that go.” Paul wrapped both his hands around the flowers. “And I know you wouldn’t be my friend unless I liked your new girlfriend.”   
“She’s not my girlfriend.” Paul giggled at George.  
“Not yet.” Paul said as he grinned and giggled with George. It was just like old times, before they got into this whole mess.   
“Why don’t you come in? Alana is in the living room.” George signalled for Paul to come in and he did.   
George walked in before Paul and as Alana was about to ask who it was, she couldn’t speak with shock that Paul even wanted to see her. Paul couldn’t speak either because he was so shocked by the mess of papers in front of Alana. She had always been such a clean freak.  
“Seriously Paul, don’t even ask.” George warned Paul. Alana stood up.  
“Paul, what are you doing here?” Alana looked at the floor and folded her arms. “Last time we spoke you didn’t even want to know me.”  
“Alana, I hate myself for the way I treated you. I knew Lauren was looking down at me and thinking ‘you fucking idiot McCartney.’” Paul held out the flowers from behind his back. “Lauren would have hated me treating her best friend that way. You and George are my rock. I’d be a fucking idiot to throw that away.” Paul gave the flowers to Alana and she vacantly looked at them. “I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.” Paul opened the living room door and turned around so that he was facing Alana, who held the flowers so gently whilst her vision of Paul was blurry due to the tears welling in her eyes. “I’m so sorry.”  
“Paul, wait!” Paul stopped heading out the door and turned to face Alana. George never once moved from his place at the wall. “How about a nice cup of tea?” Suddenly the three friends smiled and they all felt warm. They met in a group hug. A feeling like that can stay with you for a long time. No matter what happens, its once that won’t ever leave you. They all laughed and smiled together. “Of course you’re forgiven you dafty!” Alana said, still hugging George and Paul. “Right, I’m going to go and put these beautiful Lilies in some water, Paul why don’t you join me in the kitchen to help make the tea.” Alana started to walk out the door.   
“It would be my pleasure mam.” Paul said following Alana.   
“Oh, George.” Alana quickly turned back to George and he nodded in response. “Why don’t you finish what we were doing, we’ll be back in two minutes.” Paul followed Alana into the hallway and closed the door behind him.   
“What were you doing in the Alana? You guys made a mess?” They walked through to the kitchen, Paul following Alana’s lead.   
“It’s nothing Paul. Nothing that’s important. Nothing you have to worry about.” Alana hated lying but this was for everyone’s good. Paul and her had just made up and she didn’t want to bring up something that he thought was a load of shit and evidently made him livid. Alana found one of her mum’s old vases’ to put her beautiful white Lilies in. The vase was white and decorated with blue flowers.   
Eventually, Paul and Alana came back into the living room, she carrying the vase and he trying to balance three mugs of tea in his hands.   
“Tah Paul.” George took the tea, not even holding the handle and he slowly began to warm up. He didn’t take a break from searching through the files.   
“George.” Alana leaned down beside him and whispered, “You keep looking, and I’ll keep Paul entertained.” He nodded to Alana and she playfully tapped his shoulder. Paul found an arm chair in the corner of the room and Alana lay down on the suede sofa whilst George sat on the wooden floor in front of her. She took occasional sips of tea from the mug that Lauren bought her as a gift for her seventeenth birthday: a Café Nervosa mug, like the ones from Frasier.   
“Bingo.” George said staring at a piece of paper. His eyes were fixated.   
“Have you found something?” Alana placed her mug gently down on the floor beside George.   
“Found what?” Paul stayed in his chair but he was understandably confused.   
“Paul.” Alana couldn’t even look at him. She knew how heated this topic made him. “Look well George and I spoke to Hayden and we decided to look through our files to see if we could find the name of the pre-school where this photo was taken.”   
“Alana you are kidding me! I thought you’d given up on this!” Paul was livid but his lecture was cut off by the front door opening.   
“Mum!” Alana whispered under her breath, almost as though she genuinely believe her mother wouldn’t hear them. “Paul keep this.” Alana snatched the paper out of George’s hand and gave it to Paul.  
“Alana, you know how I feel,”   
“Please, Paul.” Paul folded up the piece of paper and placed it in his pocket.   
“What the fuck do we do?” Alana had never seen George so stressed out.   
“Tidy up.” Alana handed George a pile of files and started stacking some others on the shelf. For a moment she genuinely believed she could make it look like nothing had ever happened. As they hectically shoved files on the shelves, the sound of Alana’s mother’s stiletto heels got closer and closer until final the door opened. George, Alana and Paul were still up to their knees in paperwork. Mrs Kelly stared at the three of them and Alana snatched the piece of paper from Paul’s shirt pocket. For a moment everything stood silent until Mrs Kelly finally found her words.  
“Alana Catherine Georgia Kelly, what in God’s name are you doing?” Mrs Kelly only called Alana by her full name when she was really angry.   
“Hi, Mrs Kelly, lovely seeing you again.” Paul awkwardly said, trying to break the tense atmosphere.   
“Hi, I’m George Harrison, pleasure to meet you mam.” George said as he shook Mrs Kelly’s hand. She couldn’t even look at him she was in so much shock. When George took his place in between Alana and Paul, Paul hit his arm.   
“You have a lot of explaining to do young lady!” Alana’s mum began to raise her voice.  
“What are you hiding?” Alana didn’t take her eyes of the paper, which proved to be a report card.   
“Pardon, Alana?”  
“Why don’t you want me to remember that I went to Liverpool Haven School?” Alana finally looked her mother in the eyes while George and Paul stood shocked. They didn’t even recognise the name. The room stood silent.


End file.
